It is very, very confusing, isn't it? I'll be interested to see what is said here, as I am an ask-the-vet type of gal!

I couldn't say what does what in horse feeds. I prefer to avoid manufactured feeds from large companies and feed all of my pets (cats, dogs & horses)  organically, ie: I avoid processed foods, so I avoid it for them and spend gobs of time making dog and cat food. Thankfully some farmer grows and bales the hay.

I fed my mare strictly grass hay last winter and had her out on pasture this summer and fall. This fall/winter I am feeding her and her colt timothy hay & about 2lbs soaked beet pulp (as added fibre) mixed in with white earth (natural dewormer) and some crushed flax seed to make her shiny.

Sorry I'm not much help.

Char

On a side note - can someone please explain the benefits of beet-pulp?

Its a feed name that keeps getting thrown around here - is it good or bad? Everyone seems to have a different opinion.

I prefer to feed oatmo, which is 32% molasses and quality oat hay.

Most feed companies will happily send a representative to your farm to help you to select the best feeding program for your horses. I did that job for 4 years and loved it! Ask your local feed dealers to put you in touch with their representatives.

Consulting an Equine Nutritionist is a great idea. Company feed reps can often be very pushy as 'only their product will do'. If you have a bit of know how, you can balance a ration yourself by getting your hay analysed and consulting the above mentioned NRC for their recommended intake values. Don't forget though that these are still just guidelines. If your horse is fat, and the guidlines tell you he should be getting more calories for his size and work level that doesn't mean you need to feed more.

All horse's diets should be forage based (grass, hay, chaff, hay cubes, etc) with grass and hay being the best options in my option as they keep a horse chewing (and therefore busy) for longer periods of time.

Concentrated feeds should only be added if you horse is growing, lactating, reproducing, working hard, or in need of weight gain. A low calorie vitamin supplement is also a good idea if your hay is not providing enough nutrients.

High Fat/High Fibre is a safe way of adding extra calories, as it contains less starches and sugars than most concentrates. Horse's stomachs and intestines are not meant to digest grains. Most horses require 10 to 12% protein unless they are growing, lactating, working hard, etc. Excess protein is just excreated harmlessly (unless a horse has kidney problems) in their urine. Feeding too much protein is generally just a strain on your wallet.

Flax oil is great to feed as it can add extra calories and is a great supplier of essential fatty acids which have all sorts of benefits such as coat and joint health. If you feed flax seeds, in should be milled (ground up) otherwise it will mostly just pass through as fibre. They are so small that a horse will not sufficiently chew them in order to release the oil.

Both Beet pulp and rice bran can be great ways to add weight to your horse. Beet pulp is generally a bit safer because bran is high in phosphous and can upset the ever so important calcium:phosphorus ratio. I would recommend feeding beet pulp without molassis, as extra sugar really isn't good for any horse. I do soak the beet pulp, as it is a great way to get some extra water into you horse, but it is a myth that their gut will explode from eating dry beet pulp. Although I can't say I really want to try and find out. :)

Roughage cubes are supposed to be hay replacers, but I haven't fed them. I sometime like to feed hay cubes to supplement regular hay if I can't get hay that's good enough quality.

And now that I've rambled on forever, I hope this helps!

I think there is way too much pseudo science when it comes to selling horse feed.  Here is the way I see it:

Horses use to run free and get all their food and nutrition off the land.  So naturally good quality hay is the cornerstone of keeping a healthy horse.

But the land and the hay has been so depleted of the essential vitamins and minerals that a healthy horse requires that we must use supplemental feeds.  I use Purina high fat and fibre to put on weight or maintain weight on my horses.  I'll add beat pulp for filler but try to avoid it.  I use one and only one supplement that I have found superior to the hundreds of others and most economical.  It's called E3Live and it's an algae based vitamin and mineral supplement.  All my horses are healthy with shiny coats, strong hoofs and lots of energy.

Keep it simple sure works for me.